Jannik Sinner Discusses His Battle With Carlos Alcaraz for the World No.1 Spot: “I’m Not Even Chasing It”

Jannik Sinner is seeking to win his first clay title in four years at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Jannik Sinner Discusses His Battle With Carlos Alcaraz for the World No.1 Spot: “I’m Not Even Chasing It”

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

In Short
  • Jannik Sinner is currently in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters, having defeated Tomas Machac.
  • Sinner has stated he is not focused on becoming World No.1, prioritizing upcoming Grand Slams instead.
  • He aims to break his clay title drought, with his main goals being the French Open and Wimbledon.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have been constantly reminded of what is at stake at the Monte Carlo Masters. The pair is battling for the World No.1 spot at the tournament, and there are permutations that Sinner might claim it by next Monday.

The Italian star has admitted that he’s not too concerned about the No.1 position. The battle for the World No.1 looked almost lost for Sinner in February, after Alcaraz extended his lead at the top of the ATP rankings by over 2,500 points. The Spaniard had won the Australian Open and Qatar Open, and was in the best form of his career until the Sunshine Double, where things turned ugly.

Sinner completed the Sunshine Double, defending no point, while Alcaraz failed to reach the final of either the Indian Wells Open or the Miami Open. The run of poor results ensured that the gap was reduced to only 1,190 points. Alcaraz is defending 1,000 points at the Monte Carlo Masters this week, while Sinner is defending nothing.

Should Sinner win the Monte Carlo Masters, he will become the World No.1 even though Alcaraz reaches the final. Alcaraz must win the ATP 1000 tournament and hope that Sinner crashes out in the semi-finals or finishes as runner-up. That looks difficult currently, as Sinner has won 14 consecutive matches.

However, Sinner is not known to play his best on clay. In fact, he just has a 71 percent winning rate on the surface and has never won a clay-court title since 2022 in Umag. Meanwhile, Alcaraz has won three of his last four tournaments on the red dirt. During Sinner’s press conference in Monaco, Sinner admitted that he’s not chasing to be World No.1:

I mean, there’s not much to say. I mean, I’m not playing next week at all. Um, I don’t know if he played Madrid last year. I don’t think so. So there’s only this tournament. But I’m not even chasing this thing because otherwise I’d have to play next week and do everything even more. I’m playing this tournament because I’m at home, because playing matches is the best practice, and it’s good to have immediate feedback on clay.

Sinner is in the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo. He defeated Tomas Machac 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 in the round of 16. It was the first time after 37 consecutive set wins that the Italian star lost a set in an ATP Masters 1000 match. He will face Felix Auger-Aliassime next, while his arch-rival Alcaraz will take on Alexander Bublik.

Jannik Sinner says his primary focus is winning the French Open and Wimbledon

Jannik Sinner is seeking to break his clay curse this season by winning his first title in four years on the surface. The Italian star has played incredibly on tour and even enjoyed success on the grass court, but a title on clay has often eluded him. The 24-year-old reached the final of the French Open last year but lost to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets.

Jannik Sinner (2)
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/4K JANNIK SINNER)

However, last year, Sinner was just returning from a three-month suspension heading into the French Open. He played at the Italian Open and reached the final, losing to Alcaraz in straight sets. During the aforementioned press conference, he admitted that his primary goal is to win the French Open and Wimbledon Championship:

Apart from the fact that it’s a big part of the game, no, but I think both he and I are aware of the situation, both his and mine, and that’s it… In my opinion, it’s secondary right now. Let’s go back, the most important things to come will be Paris and Wimbledon, so you know. In my opinion, the ranking itself is a bit secondary right now.

Should Sinner win the French Open, he will claim his Career Grand Slam. The World No. 1 has already won the Australian Open, US Open, and Wimbledon Championships. However, he will first have to focus on the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals against Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Also Read: Jannik Sinner Doing Something ‘Crazy’ As He’s Inching Closer to Stunning Novak Djokovic Record